New Leg Bone

A boy from Maine born without a fibula, one of the long leg bones faced amputation. But now thanks to modern technology the little boy may be able to start walking.

Jacob Johnson was born without a fibula, but doctors took bone marrow cells from his pelvis and demineralized bone matrix and put it into the cartilage band and several months later, a thin bone was formed.

The leg started to grow, but at a much slower pace, until doctors used a lengthening device an Elizarov which has made Jacob's leg grow three inches since November.

Jacob's procedure was a success but when he is 14 he will have another procedure to slow down the growth of his good leg so that the other leg can catch up.

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